[snova]

On a good days  2 steps forward, 1 step back.  Bad days, 1 step forward, 2 steps back.  Today I hit the lottery!

3 steps forward, no steps back.

 

So my cooling system issue had three issues.

 

#1.   My thermoswitch low trigger wasn't going off. Only the high trigger temperature.

#2.   After the end of the day, my temps kept going up even when I drive it in relaxed way.  This ended up being my battery which would lose capacity underlay and eventually my alternator would shutdown due to overheat condition. Fans were impacted.

#3.   Even driving down the highway on a cold day, the temps were on the high side.  This bothered me the most.

 

I pulled the thermostat, in order to get it out I needed to pull the Radiator because of the way the snap rings was facing. Now allowing the snap ring pliers handles to open or close.  That was a PITA, but ok... one day at a time.  Tested thermostat, its fine.  Darn. OK, its something else.  While I am in there, I replace the Heater Valve Controller,  Clean Throttle body. and finally, flushed the cooling system with a cleaner.   Dumped it... mostly got the old antifreeze, a little tint of brown.  OK, maybe I got something.. So I do it again.  This time do it again but drive for 1 hour.   Dump it 2nd time.   Old Coolant color gone, but now water is even darker.   Ok lets do it again, another 1hour of driving.   This time.. holy cow.. temp is below average on a cool day.  Something changed.  Dump it again.  Woah.   much darker now.  Ok, I'm on to something.  Lets do it a forth time. Drive 3 hours!   The entire time the temp needle just barely over the low normal temp marker.  Dumped it tonight. Very very dark.  Something was clogging my system and pretty sure its mostly clear flow now.  Hoping a few more flush with longer driving, it will look almost clear and get all the crud out.

 

This is what it looks like after the clog broke in my cooling system after the 4th time.   light---> darker--> THIS photo.

   

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Velocity]

...

lets do it again, another 1hour of driving.   This time.. holy cow.. temp is below average on a cool day.  Something changed.  Dump it again.  Woah.   much darker now.  Ok, I'm on to something.  Lets do it a forth time. Drive 3 hours!   The entire time the temp needle just barely over the low normal temp marker.  Dumped it tonight. Very very dark.  Something was clogging my system and pretty sure its mostly clear flow now.  Hoping a few more flush with longer driving, it will look almost clear and get all the crud out.

 

 

Yikes!   That's pretty dark for coolant, especially with that many flushes.   Only thing I can imagine causing coolant that dark is corrosion of some type in cooling system (radiator?) - be sure to keep an eye out for any coolant leaks and watch coolant level in the near future to ensure you don't have a hole somewhere all that crud used to be.  :-)

 

Congrats on the temp being stable - good progress!

 

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[ds968]

Congrats on that, you’ve certainly done a lot to the car lately , restoring it back to its glory. 

 

As for the coolant color.. I was afraid that may be engine oil leaking in there, which could point a head gasket failure (  SCs can expedite that to happen earlier than usual ) and would also explain the overheating, but given that you flushed the system and drove it quite a bit with the new coolant in there without the color getting dark again, that’s a good sign !   

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[snova]

Congrats on that, you’ve certainly done a lot to the car lately , restoring it back to its glory. 

 

As for the coolant color.. I was afraid that may be engine oil leaking in there, which could point a head gasket failure (  SCs can expedite that to happen earlier than usual ) and would also explain the overheating, but given that you flushed the system and drove it quite a bit with the new coolant in there without the color getting dark again, that’s a good sign !

Yes, I was worried that it was oil too. However,

I’ve never had milky oil, the is no oily film floating in the liquid, there is sediment at

the bottom I collected into a milk jug and letting it sit to see if more sediment sinks to the bottom. It should if I am lucky.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[MCL968]

I bet someone put in regular water and the minerals oxidized the alloys in the radiator and block. Good thing you took care of it before it cost you the radiator. Make sure you bleed out the air in the top of the engine with the little bleed bolt on the gooseneck, get it hot and raise the front a couple of inches if you can.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[snova]

Make sure you bleed out the air in the top of the engine with the little bleed bolt on the gooseneck, get it hot and raise the front a couple of inches if you can.

I open the bleeder bolt. Then pour in the cleaner followed by distilled water. I figure any blockage will get the full strength of the cleaner this way before the thermostat opens. I keep pouring in the water until I see it leak out of the bleeder. Then shutdown the bleeder. Start the engine and watch the level in the coolant reserve tank. Checking both temp gauge in the car and hitting the engine block a thermal IR gun. Waiting for the fans is kick

In first, I have the 85c thermo switch. When I see that, turn on the interior heater at full blast and I open the bleeder a tiny bit again. At this point I should we foaming and bubbling from air being released. I grab hold of the throttle cable and rev the engine back and forth slowly until I see no more bubbles and coolant lever get to MIN marker. Then I shutdown the bleeder and shut off the engine. Top off the reserve tank. Restart engine, again wait for engine fan to kick in, open bleeder again and try to get more bubbles out. When no more, then I shut down the bleeder and go for a drive.


When I get home, I disconnect the lower radiator hose and drain out that way. The bottom of the radiator is relatively cool. As it drains the water get pushed out by the hotter water as well as gravity. After a few minutes when I know water level has dropped I take the reserve tank cap off and open the bleeder to let air into the system to avoid a vacuum from trapping in the water. I get about 6 quarts out this way. Leaving about 2.25 quarts in the systems which I can’t get out.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.